


You put a gun in my hand (and you hide from my eyes)

by TerrificMango



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst, Blood Loss, Character Study, Gen, I have the graphic violence warning just to be safe but it's not really that graphic, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Injury, Tikki's POV, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-04
Updated: 2018-09-04
Packaged: 2019-07-06 16:13:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15889518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TerrificMango/pseuds/TerrificMango
Summary: At that point, it’s not glorious or romantic or noble, is it? It’s not Ladybug, the amazing hero, defeated in the line of duty.It’s just a teenager bleeding out on the pavement.





	You put a gun in my hand (and you hide from my eyes)

Tikki had reservations, when Master Fu picked out a young Ladybug and Chat Noir this time around.

They were both fourteen, one of the youngest pairs they’d ever had. Normally their ages would range from eighteen to twenty four, maybe a bit above or below- they wanted to choose heroes who were young enough to be extremely fit, but also old enough to be mature and have good judgement.

It had been a century since they’d had a pair below sixteen.

Tikki watched Marinette for weeks, simply observing her. Master Fu usually had the first say on the candidates, but the kwamis still technically had the power to reject them, as they’d be the ones actually working with the heroes.

But she could find no faults. Marinette was kind and gracious in her daily life, she was always quick to help someone out and good at comforting others. Importantly, she also had no problems with standing up for herself or others. She was a perfect Ladybug candidate.

But she was so _young_.

It didn’t help that Chat Noir was her same age, even if Tikki didn’t have any say in choosing him. It was often ideal to have Ladybug and Chat Noir be as close in age as possible, just to make teamwork easier, but if that resulted in both of their heroes being practically children, well...Tikki wasn’t pleased.

But despite her misgivings, she still went along with Master Fu’s choice, because- it was true that Marinette would be a magnificent Ladybug, and the threat was especially powerful this time, and they didn’t have very long to deliberate over candidates. Tikki gathers all these justifications, all these excuses and more around her to try and quell her guilt.

But when she’s finally face to face with Marinette, about to tell her that she’s going to be a superhero, about to condemn her to a life of battle, it’s that one central thought that rises to the surface again.

_She’s too young._

This girl is too young for this, for all of this. She is too young for everything that she will soon have to endure, too young to undergo the trials and suffering that every Ladybug must face.

The beginning of every new Ladybug is always hard for Tikki. But with this Ladybug, with Marinette, her heart aches with an indescribable pain.

Because the time will come- and Tikki knows it will come, it always does- when Ladybug will be fighting against some villain, some enemy, with Chat Noir by her side, when the villain wins just for a second and causes the kind of injury even Miraculous magic can’t heal. And the transformation, that illusion of invincibility, will break down from the shock, and Chat Noir’s mouth will be contorted into an empty scream, and the members of the public will gather, aghast, around their fallen hero-

Because at that point, it’s not glorious or romantic or noble, is it? It’s not Ladybug, the amazing hero, defeated in the line of duty.

It’s just a teenager bleeding out on the pavement.

What right do they have to take away these children’s lives? Tikki wonders sometimes. To strip away their childhoods, their innocence, by shoving them into a life of eternal combat and danger? Is any threat worth sending them towards pain and suffering and sometimes, death’s open arms?

And Tikki prays to whatever God there is that Marinette will forgive her, or that she would have forgiven her.

Because Tikki knows she’ll never forgive herself.

**Author's Note:**

> The title comes from Masters of War by Bob Dylan. Maybe a bit extreme, but I thought it was appropriate.


End file.
